Improvement in center-boards for vessels



L. READ Center-Board for Vessels.

Patented March 5, 1878.

INVENTOR 4%? WITNESSES ATTORNEYS.

N. PETERS. PHDTO-LITHOGRAPHER WASHINGTON, n C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

LUTHER READ, OF HENDERSON, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND LORIN B.SIMMONS, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN CENTER-BOARDS FOR VESSELS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 200,934, dated March 5,1878; application filed February 8, 1878.

To all whom it may concern Beit known that I, LUTHER READ, of Henderson,in the county of Jefferson and State of New York, have invented a newand useful Improvement in Center-Board and Box for Vessels, of which thefollowing is a specification:

Figure 1 is a side view of a center-board and box, the board being showndown, and part of the box being broken away to show the construction.Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of the lower rear corner of thecenterboard and its attachments.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The object of this invention is to furnish improved center boards forvessels which shall be so constructed that they cannot jam, and which atthe same time shall be simple in construction and easily andconveniently operated.

The invention consists in the combination of the bars or plates, thepivoted lever, and the chain with the lower rear corner of thecenter-board; in the point formed upon the lower rear corner of thecenter-board, in combination with the bars or plates, the pivoted lever,and the chain; and in the sheave placed in the lower rear part of thebox, and the false post, in combination with the rear part of the saidbox, and with the chain, as hereinafter fully described.

A is the center-board, which is pivoted near its forward lower corner tothe forward lower part of the box B. The rear lower corner of the boardA is made with a projecting point, a. To the "rear lower corner of thecenterboard A, just above the point a, are attached two bars or plates,0, the rear ends of which project, are bent upward, and are connected bya pin or rivet, c. To and between the bars or plates 0, and close to theedge of the board A, is pivoted the inner end of the short lever D, theouter end of which projects a little beyond the ends of the bars orplates 0, and has the end of the chain E connected with it by a shackle,which shackle is so formed that it cannot drop down below the end of thesaid lever.

The chain E passes up through the rear end of the box B and around thesheave F, pivoted in the lower part of the rear end of the said box B. Gis a false post, which extends from the sheave F to the top of the boxB.

With this construction the lever D, when the board A strikes the bottom,carries the chain aft as it slacks down, and the said lever D drops uponthe point a, and the shackle drops partly over the end of the lever D,so that the said chain will be clear of the board. and cannot be jammedbetween the board and the box, as the board is rounded up into the box.The false post G prevents the bight of the chain from dropping down infront of the sheave F, and being liable to jam. When the board is down,and the chain draws across the end and upper corner of the said board,the sheave F leads the said chain clear before the corner of the boardenters the box. The sheave F also forms an angle in the chain ,when theboard is down, lessens the friction, and makes a direct draft all theway up while the board is being raised.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. The combination of the bars or plates C, thepivoted lever D, and the chain E with the lower rear corner of thecenter-board A, substantially as herein shown and described.

2. The point a, formed upon the lower rear corner of the center-board A,in combination with the bars or plates 0, the pivoted lever D, and thechain E, substantially as herein shown and described.

3. The sheave F, placed in the lower rear part of the box B, and thefalse post G, in combination with the rear part of the said box B, andwith the chain E, substantially as herein shown and described.

LUTHER READ.

Witnesses:

A. M. KILBY, E. TYLER.

